Masquarade
by naluislife247
Summary: We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries To thee from tortured souls arise. We sing, but oh the clay is vile Beneath our feet, and long the mile; But let the world dream otherwise, We wear the mask! Paul Laurence. Dunbar, ""We Wear the Mask."" from The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar. (New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, )


Masquerade

Chapter 1

Beautiful dresses, classical music, and vibrant masks filled the atmosphere as Natsu maneuvered through the ballroom. He was in a red suit with gold trimming and black dress pants. To fit in, he wore a draconic like mask covering only his eyes. Tonight, would mark him as a criminal, as less then human. But Natsu had already sacrificed his humanity for gold, so what was a little more? There was a small ping of guilt when he closed in, witnessing the target in all her beauty.

A girl in a pink ball gown, her blonde hair in a braid, and a pink mask of petals adorned her face.

Lucy Heartfilia, the heist of a lifetime.

Sabertooth was paying big money for her death, the crown Lucy wore would be his reward and Natsu would take his share of the spoils. He was a Jack of all trades, for the right price Natsu would be whatever you wanted him to be: a spy, a thief, a murderer. A life of poverty, crime, and abandonment paved the way for him to become who he is now: END. The end of a life, the end of wealth, the end of…everything. A wretch with a black heart and lack of identity who succumbed to darkness and avoided the light. It was an addiction, a way of survival, Natsu was nothing more than a lost boy living in dark alleys and fear. But END was strong, he was noticed, people who met END would quiver in fear.

Natsu frowns when Lucy looks up at him and smiles. He had spent three long months planning both her murder and her wealth and yet in those three months Lucy never revealed her true self. She played the innocent girl and yet he could see that she was far more intelligent than most. Lucy got under his skin, the way she talked to him and joyfully greeted him at her door. The invitation to this masquerade, sharing her hopes and dreams with him then asking about his.

She was meant to hate him, everyone hates him. A monster, a wretch, a nobody. But instead of shying away Lucy comes up to him and takes his hand inviting him to dance.

"Natsu! You actually came!", she laughs at his sudden discomfort while ushering him into the dance floor. "Don't worry silly just remember what we practiced!"

That's right, Natsu had to get close to his victim, so he played the friend and Lucy bought it. Calmly smiling back Natsu skillfully dances the waltz with her, becoming aware of her joy.

"So, a dragon huh?"

"What? You don't like it?"

The dance has slowed down by now and so has that gleam in her eyes. They were beautiful eyes he noticed, brown with golden flakes. His hidden knife brushes against his thigh as if to remind him what he came for.

"Everyone here is so interesting you know?"

He frowns as she closes in, the spin went with the dance but those eyes…

"All of these masks and yet here you are. Natsu Dragneel." Lucy's hand lands his knife and he stills. "Keep dancing friend, lest the guards suspect."

And so, he did, his full attention on her now. "I'm an idiot, aren't I?" The blonde chuckles, "I thought you would remember, I thought I could befriend you all over again. But that won't work will it END?"

The way she says his title so smoothly bothers him.

"I don't know what you're talking about." The killer states.

"Oh, but you do, you've been planning to kill me for the past three months now."

He sucks in a breath; how did she find out!? He needed to end this, forget the crown he'll just take her life and leave. But before Natsu has any time to react she reaches up and gently removes his mask.

"Igneel's looking for you Natsu. Do you remember him? Do you remember your father?"

"I have no father." He angrily spouts before tearing the mask out of her hands and covering his face once again. What did she know? Lucy was just some airhead princess who didn't know a thing about reality. Natsu never had a father, he never had friends. He was just some boy found dying on the streets.

Forget it, he'll kill her tomorrow.

Lucy grabs his arm and pulls him away from the dancing. The young man couldn't understand why he was letting her take him, but it felt wrong to object. Lucy leads him to a table and wipes food off a silver tray, propping it up to use as a mirror.

"Just what are you doing?"

"You'll kill me, anyway right? Think of this as my last wish." With all the confidence the girl could muster she commands him to take off his jacket. Eyeing her with suspicion he hesitates before complying to her final wish. He didn't like his jacket anyway.

Lucy points to his reflection in the silver plate, "What is that Natsu? What is on your right shoulder?"

"Nothing, just scars." He wasn't lying either, Natsu's shoulder was that way ever since he woke in the streets.

Her eyes widen in shock, apparently this wasn't supposed to happen.

"But your mark?"

"My mark? What?"

"Natsu your mark was right there!" As if for emphasis she places her hand on his shoulder, the Fairy Tail mark showing on the back of her hand.

He stares at his reflection quizzically, a fragment of a memory resurfacing. It was of him being pulled down as someone with a knife carved into his shoulder. That memory haunted Natsu the most, it was the one thing he wished he could forget. And now this girl is bringing it back.

—-flashback-

Two men pin him down into the dirt, a third whistles in delight.

"What a catch, Natsu Dragneel, the best of Fairy Tail."

Struggling as best he could, Natsu tries to look at his attacker before one of the two grabs his head and slams it against the ground making his vision blur. He was in bad shape; a trip home had turned into a disaster when he was suddenly ambushed. The three had the element of surprise and made short work of him shooting him twice and beating him before he could stand. Now with a mouthful of dirt and darkened vision he can just make out someone kneeling next to him, a knife glinting in his hands.

"Don't worry Natsu, I promise this won't hurt." The attacker smiles just as his knife sinks into Natsu's shoulder.

—-END-

"Just who the hell do you think you are?" Natsu growls as he forcefully shoves her away. Lucy falls against the table with a yelp, dishes clattering on the ground. The sudden noise catching the attention of the guards, but Natsu is to focused on Lucy to notice.

"N-Natsu please don't-"

"Who are you to tell me what I am!?" He angrily yells at her, "Who are you to dig up my past!?"

The guards have started to close in now and with a quick turn Natsu grabs a lot candle from the tables and rams it against a guard setting him on fire. The man screams in agony as flames consume him, it wasn't Natsu's fault the man had flammable clothing. Lucy looks up in fear as her friend grins at her before dropping the candle, fire beginning to spread on the floor.

"You are nothing." He tells her before making his exit.

Just outside the castle Natsu runs into Sting, the same man who hired him to kill Lucy.

"No murder tonight END?"

"I'll kill her tomorrow."

Sting frowns at this, looking disappointed in Natsu. "Just for that I'll take half of what I would have payed you."

Natsu only shrugs and continues to leave the castle grounds, Sting following by his side. There's a moment of silence as the two reach the gates and Natsu can't help but wonder if Lucy was able to put out that fire. He couldn't hear any screams, so she must have put it out somehow? The young man shakes his head, why was even concerned about her to begin with?

As if to safe him from his thoughts a beautiful woman walks past the two men, her breasts hardly covered in the dress she was wearing. Sting whistles in delight as she saunters to the castle, focusing on the woman's assets.

"What a catch."


End file.
